TMFMmbop (31.19)

The Global Agricultural Land Grab

13

I thought this was a fascinating article from World Politics Review. Here's your relevant paragraph:

"Although the practice of buying up tracts of arable land in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe is not a new phenomenon, the food crisis of the last few years and growing water scarcity has accelerated the trend. Countries like South Korea, Saudi Arabia, India, and China are now buying or leasing hundreds of thousands of hectares in Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and elsewhere to meet food demand back home."

This obviously has many serious implications and will likely hamper further sustainable development in Africa.

> With someone like Putin in charge, no amount of oil or land or water is going to help. These KGB guys just steal all 100% of whatever mineral wealth nature throws at them.

There is that, of course. But they are not going to live forever. Corruption in Russia didn't start with Putin, though. So, it is not going away any time soon. However, look at India, it probably even more corrupt and still people invest there.

India is different. There they have several crooked parties fighting each other, just like in the Ukraine. But in Russia, Putin & Co have a monopoly on corruption, so they are able to steal without any restaint.

This is why stocks of companies making water in developing nations offer a tremendous investment potential. I have made a lot of money with Hyflux, Ltd. (HYFXF.PK), and expect to make much more. For other water stocks, see water utilities